“On July 8, 2014, Israel launched air strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza, followed by a ground invasion. The ensuing fifty-one days of war left more than 2,200 people dead, the vast majority of whom were Palestinian civilians, including over 500 children. During the assault, at least 10,000 homes were destroyed and, according to the United Nations, nearly 300,000 Palestinians were displaced. Max Blumenthal was in Gaza and throughout Israel–Palestine during what he argues was an entirely avoidable catastrophe. In this explosive work of intimate reportage, Blumenthal reveals the harrowing conditions and cynical deceptions that led to the ruinous war—and tells the human stories.”

“Thought-provoking economist Richard Wolff returns to Los Angeles to discuss the mounting global turmoil as capitalism relocates from old centers in Western Europe, North America, and Japan to new ones in China, Brazil, India and elsewhere in what used to be called the Third World. ‘Old institutions—stock markets, unions, and governments—cannot manage that relocation’s social effects,” Wolff reports, “so economic well-being for most of us will fall as costs rise, wages stagnate, and benefits shrink.’

Author of the brilliantly insightful book Capitalism Hits the Fan, Wolff will discuss how these dire global economic trends play out locally in Los Angeles as homelessness jumps and safety nets shred, while prison and jail spending is prioritized over poverty-solving programs. “As a result, demands rise for reforms but also for system change as capitalism confronts historic challenges from within and from socialist alternatives,” he adds.” Sponsors and source for blurb: ACLU of Southern California • Democracy at Work • LA Progressive • Occidental College of Community Engagement.

“Professor of Economics Emeritus from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Wolff is currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs at the New School University in New York. In recent years while delivering public lectures at many colleges and universities, as well as to community and trade union meetings, he has built a reputation for blunt speaking, clarity, refreshing scorn, and an enjoyable wit. Wolff is the author of many books, including Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism, Occupy the Economy: Challenging Capitalism and Capitalism Hits the Fan: The Global Economic Meltdown and What to Do About It. He hosts the weekly hour-long radio program Economic Update on Pacifica Radio and writes regularly for The Guardian, Truthout.org and the MRZine.”

“Born to Jewish parents in 1930, Richard Falk is Professor Emeritus of International Law and Policy at Princeton University. Since his 2001 retirement from the Princeton faculty, he has served as a Visiting Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2003 he took part in the Socialist Scholars Conference. He is Chairman of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation; a longtime prominent member of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers; and a longtime member of The Nation’s editorial board. Central to the theme of his life’s work, which includes the writing of more than twenty books, is Falk’s consistent opposition to American foreign policies, including the War on Terror. He characterizes such measures as the Domestic Security Enhancement Act and the Patriot Act as “sweeping powers” that represent a “slide toward fascism.”

In this interview with Professor John Haas of Cerritos College, Falk speaks about his work as U.N. Rapporteur, the Israeli Occupation, Israeli violations of International Law, including violations of the Geneva Convention, collective punishment of Palestinians, and Israeli settlements. Professor Falk also speaks about his book
Palestine: The Legitimacy of Hope.

“Immaculee Ilibagiza was at home for Easter with her family when Hutu death squads began a three month killing spree of more than a million Tutsis across the nation. Immaculee’s entire family(with the exception of one brother) was murdered, but she managed to find a hiding place in the packed 3X4 foot bathroom of a local pastor, along with seven other women. She, and the others, spent 91 days there entering at 115 pounds and emerging at 68. However, she found life in the dark, building an undaunted relationship with God and learning English only using a bible and a dictionary. She began to realize the power of unconditional love so powerful that it might forgive her family’s killers. In the wake of the horrors, she joined the UN and moved to New York four years later. She recorded her amazing story in the 2006 memoir Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, a New York Times Best Seller and an account of the power of faith in the most unlikely circumstances.”

Immaculée Ilibagiza shared her very moving personal story of her suffering due to the Rwanda genocide. The video and interview showed the full horror of violence and how violence breeds a spiralling increase within conflicts as fears grow. The role of the Pastor demonstrated for the students watching, the capacity of human beings to step out of the chaos around them and make a different choice. The courage this person showed will be an ingredient towards forgiveness for those he helped and those that witnessed his bravery. Immaculee had a strong message of the need for forgiveness and her ability to forgive. She also underlined the importance of the genocide being acknowledged and the remembrance of this being central to the needs of the victims.